Video of lion chasing cows and dogs is not from Ongata Rongai
A viral video showing a stray lion chasing a herd of cattle and dogs through a narrow passage on a residential area is not of an incident that happened in Kenya.
This is according to Newsflare, an online video news community and marketplace for user generated video content.
Social media has been abuzz after the 33-second video emerged online, spreading fear that started that the incident supposedly happened in Tuala, Ongata Rongai, Kajiado County, where there have been several incidents of stray lions.
According to Newsflare, the incident took place near a village in Amreli district in western India’s Gujarat state on November 28, 2019.
The Kenya Wildlife Services (KWS) has also assured members of the public that the incident didn’t happen in Kenya.
In the clip, the herd of cattle and dogs can be seen running for their lives from the lion.
Visuals, captured on CCTV cameras, showed a dog sprinting towards the left to the right of the screen, followed by a herd of 20-25 cows.
Another dog was seen standing and waiting when it suddenly starts to run.
Watu wangu wa Rongai stay strong, SGR haingepitia kwa national park… Watch till the end pic.twitter.com/m47x3clvSy
— ??Consiglieri Al Neri II?? (@WaweruuuuuII) December 17, 2019
The video clip was shared on social media and picked by several people who also shared it and tagged KWS to come to their rescue in Tuala, Ongata Rongai which neighbours Nairobi National Park.
KWS communication boss Ngugi Gecaga said that after the clip was uploaded on Monday, they have received calls from concerned Kenyans wanting to know if it true.
“The events captured in the video have nothing to do with Rongai and Kenyan lions and Tuala does not look like that. The person who did that wants to create unnecessary panic and fear among Rongai residents and I want to assure the public the CCTV footage is not from Tuala,” said Mr Gecega.
Last week, KWS, intensified surveillance in Tuala area in Ongata Rongai following an incident in which a man was mauled by a lion.
In a statement released on Friday, KWS said it had deployed a 24 hour surveillance team to patrol the area to arrest any stray lion.
The service has also refuted allegations circulating on social media that 10 stray lions were on the loose in Ongata Rongai, Ngong, Kitengela and parts of Karen.
“This is not true. Members of the public are advised to ignore these false reports,” KWS said in the statement.